The House at Tribschen
The Richard Wagner Museum Lucerne is housed in the composer’s former residence. Wagner rented the country estate from 1866 to 1872. The property belonged to Colonel Walter Am Rhyn, whose patrician family had acquired the prestigious estate as a summer residence in the eighteenth century.
The origins of the listed manor house, however, date back to the fifteenth century. It is likely that the “Lords of Tripschen” occupied the site during the late Middle Ages. The surrounding district still bears their name today. The building’s present exterior appearance dates largely from around 1800. Characteristic features such as the distinctive rows of windows originate from this period. Their symmetrical arrangement may be attributed to the architectural style of the Singer family of master builders.
Richard Wagner lived on the shores of Lake Lucerne for six years. After moving his residence to Bayreuth in 1872 and leaving behind the “Tribschen Idyll”, the manor house stood vacant for extended periods or was rented out as a holiday home during the summer months. It was not until 1931 that the City of Lucerne purchased the estate from the Am Rhyn family, together with its 30,000 m² park, in order to make it accessible to the public.
The museum was founded two years later, and since then the ground floor has housed an exhibition dedicated to Richard Wagner.
In 1943, Heinrich Schumacher’s collection of historical musical instruments was installed on the first floor. In 2009, the collection was relocated and can now be seen at the House of Instruments in Kriens. The museum now uses the freed-up rooms for temporary exhibitions related to Richard Wagner and his legacy.